AP News Digest 6 p.m.

APTOPIX Virus Outbreak France Louvre (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All Times EST. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan at https://newsroom.ap.org.

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NEW/DEVELOPING

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Adds: SPAIN-PROTESTS; YEMEN; ISRAEL-OIL SPILL; IRAQ; COCAINE-COATED CEREAL; ITALY-OBIT-DI-MODICA; AUSTRALIAN-OPEN-MEN'S-FINAL-PREVIEW; HAALAND-INTERIOR DEPARTMENT; POWER GRID-CONGRESS; EMERGENCY LANDING-PLANE DEBRIS; DATA BREACH-KROGER; TRUMP

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TOP STORIES

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BIDEN-NATURAL DISASTERS — The extreme winter weather that left residents of Texas and other Southern states shivering through an unseasonal cold spell is testing President Joe Biden’s disaster management skills. The White House announced that Biden had declared a major disaster in Texas, and he’s asked federal agencies to identify additional resources to address the suffering. By Darlene Superville. SENT: 850 words, photos.

WINTER WEATHER — Warmer temperatures spread across the southern United States, bringing some relief to a winter weary region that faces a challenging clean-up and expensive repairs from days of extreme cold and widespread power outages. In hard-hit Texas, where millions were warned to boil tap water before drinking it, the warm-up was expected to last for several days. The thaw produced burst pipes throughout the region, adding to the list of woes from severe conditions that were blamed for more than 70 deaths. By Jake Bleiberg and Mark Scolforo. SENT: 1,430 words, photos. WITH WINTER WEATHER-FREEZING TO DEATH — With the snow and ice clearing in Texas, authorities are finding the bodies of people who likely froze to death as they struggled to stay warm after electricity was cut. By Jamie Stengle and Marion Renault. SENT: 680 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK — As more people get fully vaccinated against COVID-19, what’s safe for them to do? Don’t expect to shed your mask right away. At least for now, U.S. health authorities say people should follow the same rules as everybody else about wearing a mask, keeping a 6-foot distance and avoiding crowds even after they’ve gotten their second vaccine dose. That’s in part because so few people are vaccinated yet. By Lauran Neergaard. SENT: 860 words, photos.

BIDEN ONE MONTH — Joe Biden is a month into his presidency and one pattern is clear. He doesn’t want to talk about the man he’s called “the former guy,” Donald Trump But much of what Biden is doing is about breaking from Trump’s legacy on matters of policy, symbolism and style. That began on his first day, when Biden appeared at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office wearing a mask. The Democrat framed his first month as a time to start to “heal the soul” of the nation and restore the White House as a symbol of stability and credibility. By Jonathan Lemire and Calvin Woodward. SENT: 1,450 words, photos. A 900-word version also is available.

RUSSIA-NAVALNY — A Moscow court has rejected Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s appeal against his prison sentence, even as the country faced a top European rights court’s order to free the Kremlin’s most prominent foe. By Vladimir Isachenkov. SENT: 910 words, photos.

EMERGENCY LANDING-PLANE DEBRIS — Debris from a United Airlines plane fell onto Denver suburbs during an emergency landing Saturday, with one very large piece that appears to be part of the engine narrowly missing a home. Authorities said nobody aboard or on the ground was reported hurt. By Gillian Flaccus SENT: 700 words, photos.

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WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

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COCAINE-COATED CEREAL — Customs inspectors find cocaine-coated corn flakes in Ohio. SENT: 120 words.

ITALY-OBIT-DI-MODICA — Arturo Di Modica, sculptor of Wall Street bull, dies at 80. SENT: 420 words, photos.

NAZI-GUARD-DEPORTATION — A 95-year-old former Nazi concentration camp guard has been deported from the United States to his native Germany. SENT: 340 words.

SCI-SPACE-STATION— A space station supply ship has blasted off from Virginia on the 59th anniversary of John Glenn’s historic flight. The company has named its latest capsule the S.S. Katherine Johnson after the Black NASA mathematician profiled in the movie “Hidden Figures.” SENT: 330 words.

MILITARY JET CRASH — 2 dead after Air Force trainer jet crashes in Alabama. SENT: 230 words.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-COMMUNITY COLLEGES — Enrollment at community colleges has plunged during the pandemic, with fewer freshmen enrolling and some delaying college until campuses fully reopen. But the pandemic has also taken a heavy toll on adult students, including many who have lost jobs or who have no time for their own schooling as they supervise their children’s online classes. By Anita Snow and Collin Binkley. SENT: 990 words, photos. This is the Sunday Spotlight.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRITAIN — The British government has announced a small step out of the nation’s lockdown — allowing nursing home residents to have a single friend or family member visit them indoors. SENT: 230 words, photos.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ITALY-ANNIVERSARY — Pope Francis and Italy’s president have marked the nation’s first annual day to honor doctors, nurses and other health care workers, exactly a year after the nation’s first known native case of COVID-19 emerged. A year on, Italy has so far seen more than 95,000 known dead, the second-high coronavirus toll in Europe after Britain. By Frances D'Emelio. SENT: 320 words, photos.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-NEVADA-BROTHELS — Before the coronavirus pandemic, tourist-dependent Nevada had a notorious attraction: It was the only place in America where someone could legally pay for sex. Legal brothels have been shuttered for nearly a year, leaving sex workers to offer less-lucrative alternatives. While the business of legal bordellos may seem incompatible with social distancing, sex workers and brothel owners say they should be allowed to reopen with protective measures. By Michelle L. Price. SENT: 980 words, photos.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-FRANCE-LOUVRE — The 518-year-old Mona Lisa has seen many things in her life on a wall, but rarely this: Almost four months with no Louvre visitors. As she stares out through bulletproof glass into the silent Salle des Etats, in what was once the world’s most-visited museum, her celebrated smile could almost denote relief. By Thomas Adamson and Alex Turnbull. SENT: 530 words, photos.

Find more coverage on the Virus Outbreak on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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TRUMP — Donald Trump will be making his first post-presidential appearance at a conservative gathering in Florida on Feb. 28, at the American Conservative Union's annual Conservative Political Action Conference.

POWER GRID-CONGRESS — A Democratic senator is calling for federal investigations into possible price gouging of natural gas in the Midwest and other regions following severe winter storms that plunged Texas and other states into a deep freeze that caused power outages in millions of homes and businesses. SENT: 690 words, photos.

HAALAND-INTERIOR DEPARTMENT — Deb Haaland has stood with fellow tribal members in protesting an oil pipeline, advocating for protecting cultural landmarks and criticizing destruction of Native American sites near the U.S.-Mexico border. Native Americans have reason to believe the two-term U.S. congresswoman will push forward on long-simmering issues in Indian Country if she’s confirmed as secretary of the Interior Department. SENT: 1200 words, photos.

TRUMP-IMPEACHMENT-BURR — When Sen. Richard Burr stood and said “guilty” there were hushed gasps in the Senate chamber. But the North Carolina Republican’s vote to convict Donald Trump shouldn’t have come as a shock. In a way, he had been telegraphing his willingness to hold Trump accountable for several years. Burr, who is retiring in 2022, was censured by his own state party after the vote. By Mary Clare Jalonick. SENT: 1,310 words, photos. A 950-word version also is available. By Mary Clare Jalonick. SENT: 1,390 words, photos.

GOVERNORS’-STARS-DIMMED — At the outset of the pandemic, two Democratic governors on opposite ends of the country were hailed as heroes for their leadership in a crisis. Now they’re leaders on the ropes. For Andrew Cuomo of New York and Gavin Newsom of California, the bottom line is clear: If you’re not careful, the same crisis that can raise your stock can just as easily bring you down. By Nicholas Riccardi and Marina Villeneuve. SENT: 1,010 words, photos.

VOTING RESTRICTIONS-FLORIDA — Florida was a model citizen when it came to elections in 2020 as the state showed off its years of voting reforms. It was all overseen by GOP officials and Donald Trump won, continuing Republicans’ growing dominance in the state. Yet three months later, Florida Republicans have set out to overhaul the state’s voting system anyway. The push shows how deep false claims about mass voter fraud spread by Trump have burrowed into Republicans’ belief system. The party is now stampeding to solve a problem that most nonpartisan experts and courts say does not exist. The result would make it more difficult to vote. By Nicholas Riccardi and Bobby Caina Calvan. SENT: 980 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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MYANMAR — Local media in Myanmar is reporting that two anti-coup protesters were shot dead by riot police who fired live rounds. The deaths occurred in Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city. One of the victims was shot in the head and died at the scene, according to Frontier Myanmar. Another was shot in the chest and died en route to the hospital. Several other serious injuries were also reported. The shootings occurred near the Yadanabon dock, where tear gas and rubber bullets were used on protesters earlier in the day. SENT 900 words, photos.

SPAIN-PROTESTS — A fifth night of peaceful protests to denounce the imprisonment of a Spanish rap artist once more devolved into clashes between police and the members of fringe groups who set up street barricades and smashed storefront windows in downtown Barcelona. SENT: 300 words, photos.

YEMEN — Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed a tribal leader and four of his immediate family in the rebel-held capital, tribal leaders said. Armed rebels, led by Houthi leader Abu Khalid al-Raei, gunned down Sheikh Ali Abu Nashtan on Friday along with three of his sons and a sister outside their house in the Arhab district in northern Sanaa, they said. SENT: 200 words.

ISRAEL-OIL SPILL — Hundreds of volunteers took part in a cleanup operation of the Israeli shoreline as investigations are underway to determine the cause of an oil spill that threatens the beach and wildlife. SENT: 200 words, photos.

IRAQ — At least four rockets struck an Iraqi airbase, the Iraqi military said in a statement, while other officials said one person was wounded at the base where an American defense company services combat aircraft. SENT: 250 words.

UNITED NATIONS-LIBYA — American security contractor Erik Prince, a close ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, violated the U.N. arms embargo against Libya along with three United Arab Emirates-based companies and their top managers during an operation to help a rebel military commander take the capital Tripoli, U.N. experts said. SENT: 700 words.

THAILAND-POLITICS — Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha survived a no-confidence vote in parliament amid allegations that his government mismanaged the economy, bungled the provision of COVID-19 vaccines, abused human rights and fostered corruption. SENT: 540 words, photos.

AFGHANISTAN — Three sticky bomb attacks in the Afghan capital Kabul killed at least five people and wounded two others, a police official said, amid a surge in violence in the war-torn country. SENT: 350 words, photos.

ETHIOPIA-MILITARY-CONFRONTATION — The United Nations says Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region faces a “very critical malnutrition situation” as vast areas where many people fled remain out of reach of aid. Alarm is growing over the fate of the region’s some 6 million people as fighting is reportedly as fierce as ever after three months of fighting between Ethiopian and allied forces and those supporting the now-fugitive Tigray leaders. By Cara Anna. SENT: 500 words.

NEW-ZEALAND-CHRISTCHURCH-ANNIVERSARY — The Christ Church Cathedral was arguably New Zealand’s most iconic building before much of it crumbled in an earthquake 10 years ago. The years of debate that followed over whether the ruins should be rebuilt or demolished came to symbolize the paralysis that has sometimes afflicted the broader rebuild of Christchurch. SENT: 600 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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ANTI-PROTEST-LAWS — When massive demonstrations against racial injustice erupted across the nation last summer, protesters often swarmed onto roads or highways to draw attention to their cause. Now, Republican politicians across the country are moving to stop the maneuver, proposing increased penalties for demonstrators who run onto highways and legal immunity for drivers who hit them. Dozens of such bills aimed at cracking down on protests and demonstrations have been introduced. By Sean Murphy. SENT: 905 words, photos.

FEMALE-EAGLE-SCOUTS — The Boy Scouts of America is celebrating a major milestone this weekend with a virtual event honoring the nearly 1,000 girls and young women who are the first females to attain the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout. Only in 2018 did the Boy Scouts start accepting girls as Cub Scouts. Older girls were admitted into the flagship scouting program in 2019. SENT: 700 words, photo.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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PEOPLE-KARDASHIAN-WEST-DIVORCE — Initial signs suggest a smooth split between Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West. As “Kimye” becomes just Kim and Kanye with Kardashian filing for divorce Friday, they do so with a prenuptial agreement in place, independent fortunes and a desire to share time with their four kids. But will it stay peaceful? SENT; 650 words, photos.

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BUSINESS

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DATA BREACH-KROGER — Kroger Co. says it was among the multiple victims of a data breach involving a third-party vendor’s file-transfer service and is notifying potentially impacted customers, offering them free credit monitoring. SENT: 300 words, photo.

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SPORTS

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AUSTRALIAN-OPEN-MEN'S-FINAL-PREVIEW— Novak Djokovic will be seeking his 18th Grand Slam title and Daniil Medvedev his first when they face each other in the Australian Open men’s final on Sunday. Djokovic is seeded No. 1 and is 8-0 in title matches at Melbourne Park. This will be his 28th major final overall. Medvedev is 0-1 in Grand Slam finals after losing to Rafael Nadal at the 2019 U.S. Open. SENT: 750 words, photos.

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